CAMBRIDGE,
Md. — House Republican leaders on Thursday unveiled a list of “standards” for
an immigration reform plan that would allow unlawful immigrants to remain in
the United States if they meet certain standards and requirements.
The
document, which was provided to House leaders during the conference’s annual
policy retreat here, outlines how party leaders wish to proceed on the issue.
“There
will be no special path to citizenship for individuals who broke our nation’s
immigration laws — that would be unfair to those immigrants who have played by
the rules and harmful to promoting the rule of law,” the document reads.
“Rather, these persons could live legally and without fear in the U.S., but
only if they were willing to admit their culpability, pass rigorous background
checks, pay significant fines and back taxes, develop proficiency in English
and American civics, and be able to support themselves and their families
(without access to public benefits). Criminal aliens, gang members, and sex
offenders and those who do not meet the above requirements will not be eligible
for this program.”
Though
the Republican principles say there will be no "special" path to
citizenship, they also are not explicitly saying that immigrants cannot apply
for citizenship eventually. That is not dissimilar from the Senate's plan,
which would allow immigrants to apply for temporary legal status and,
eventually, a green card. (Green card holders can apply for citizenship after
five years.)
The
“standards” document goes on to say that none of those reforms for unlawful immigrants
can occur until “specific enforcement triggers have been implemented.”
Concerning
children brought to the U.S. illegally, House
Republican leaders recommend offering citizenship “for those who meet certain
eligibility standards, and serve honorably in our military or attain a college
degree.”
The
document also calls for massive increases in border security and enforcement
and “a zero tolerance policy” for those who enter the country illegally or
overstay a visa. House leaders also call for a federal employment verification
system as part of the standards, an “entry-exit visa tracking system” and an
increase in the number of high-skilled workers allowed in the United States.
House
Republicans are under significant pressure to act on immigration from President
Barack Obama, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and a coalition of
activists that span the political spectrum.
In
a statement, New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, one of the lead authors of
the Senate version of the bill, suggested that the standards document was a
step in the right direction for supporters of
immigration reform.
“While
these standards are certainly not everything we would agree with, they leave a
real possibility that Democrats and Republicans, in both the House and Senate,
can in some way come together and pass immigration reform that both sides can
accept," Schumer said. "It is a long, hard road but the door is
open.”
As
a matter of process, House Republican leaders have vowed not to adopt an
immigration overhaul package in a single, comprehensive bill. But they have
indicated that they intend to pass bills piecemeal as they arrive from the
House Judiciary Committee.
House
Republicans plan to discuss the principles during closed meetings at the
retreat, and leaders hope to move closer to a consensus on the issue by week’s
end.
“It’s
time to deal with” immigration, Boehner told reporters before meeting with
House members on Thursday. “But how we deal with it is going to be critically
important.”
The
full document:
PREAMBLE
Our
nation’s immigration system is broken and our laws are not being enforced. Washington’s failure to fix them
is hurting our economy and jeopardizing our national security. The overriding
purpose of our immigration system is to promote and further America’s national interests
and that is not the case today. The serious problems in our immigration system
must be solved, and we are committed to working in a bipartisan manner to solve
them. But they cannot be solved with a single, massive piece of legislation
that few have read and even fewer understand, and therefore, we will not go to
a conference with the Senate’s immigration bill. The problems in our
immigration system must be solved through a step-by-step, common-sense approach
that starts with securing our country’s borders, enforcing our laws, and
implementing robust enforcement measures. These are the principals guiding us
in that effort.
Border Security and
Interior Enforcement Must Come First
It
is the fundamental duty of any government to secure its borders, and the United States is failing in this
mission. We must secure our borders now and verify that they are secure. In
addition, we must ensure now that when immigration reform is enacted, there
will be a zero tolerance policy for those who cross the border illegally or
overstay their visas in the future. Faced with a consistent pattern of
administrations of both parties only selectively enforcing our nation’s
immigration laws, we must enact reform that ensures that a President cannot
unilaterally stop immigration enforcement.
Implement Entry-Exit
Visa Tracking System
A
fully functioning Entry-Exit system has been mandated by eight separate
statutes over the last 17 years. At least three of these laws call for this
system to be biometric, using technology to verify identity and prevent fraud.
We must implement this system so we can identify and track down visitors who
abuse our laws.
Employment Verification
and Workplace Enforcement
In
the 21st century it is unacceptable that the majority of employees have their
work eligibility verified through a paper based system wrought with fraud. It
is past time for this country to fully implement a workable electronic
employment verification system.
Reforms to the Legal
Immigration System
For
far too long, the United States has emphasized
extended family members and pure luck over employment-based immigration. This
is inconsistent with nearly every other developed country. Every year thousands
of foreign nationals pursue degrees at America’s colleges and
universities, particularly in high skilled fields. Many of them want to use
their expertise in U.S. industries that will
spur economic growth and create jobs for Americans. When visas aren’t
available, we end up exporting this labor and ingenuity to other countries.
Visa and green card allocations need to reflect the needs of employers and the
desire for these exceptional individuals to help grow our economy.
The
goal of any temporary worker program should be to address the economic needs of
the country and to strengthen our national security by allowing for realistic,
enforceable, usable, legal paths for entry into the United States. Of particular concern
are the needs of the agricultural industry, among others. It is imperative that
these temporary workers are able to meet the economic needs of the country and
do not displace or disadvantage American workers.
Youth
One
of the great founding principles of our country was that children would not be
punished for the mistakes of their parents. It is time to provide an
opportunity for legal residence and citizenship for those who were brought to
this country as children through no fault of their own, those who know no other
place as home. For those who meet certain eligibility standards, and serve
honorably in our military or attain a college degree, we will do just that.
Individuals Living
Outside the Rule of Law
Our
national and economic security depend on requiring people who are living and
working here illegally to come forward and get right with the law. There will
be no special path to citizenship for individuals who broke our nation’s
immigration laws – that would be unfair to those immigrants who have played by
the rules and harmful to promoting the rule of law. Rather, these persons could
live legally and without fear in the U.S., but only if they were willing to
admit their culpability, pass rigorous background checks, pay significant fines
and back taxes, develop proficiency in English and American civics, and be able
to support themselves and their families (without access to public benefits).
Criminal aliens, gang members, and sex offenders and those who do not meet the
above requirements will not be eligible for this program. Finally, none of this
can happen before specific enforcement triggers have been implemented to
fulfill our promise to the American people that from here on, our immigration
laws will indeed be enforced.
As reported by Chris Moody, Yahoo News
Ben Ferro
benferro@insideins.com
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